Gautami and her sister Manoshri have both been running the 10 day race. With just a short time now left they are running together and sharing with me some of their experiences over the past 10 days.

Gautami: “It has been a mixture of everything, everything possible…..experiences, emotions. It was great for sure.”

Manoshri: “There were ups and downs. There were times when you felt you were just so tired of running. You don’t want to run any more and you take a rest and wake up and life is good again.”

Gautami: “For me definitely the pain tolerance improved. (laughs) I walked with shin splints for 3 days and nights. I almost overcame it. I still feel it but I have been running on it for 2 days.”

“For me it becomes a meditation when I run. It is not just a silent meditation it is dynamic meditation. You feel lots of gratitude at times. Many times I actually cried with gratitude. There is a silence you have in the mind.”

“There was one day when I had so much pain, and the wind was really blowing. I actually visualized that my body was the wind. It was a really cool experience. The pain just all went away.”

The girls received constant help from Mom

Manoshri: “You go through hard times when you almost want to give up. But you feel, I should keep going. But when you go through this you feel so much stronger. You develop qualities like will power and determination. Then you feel so much satisfaction. You feel stronger and happier. It helps you to become a better person.”

Kobi is the men’s champion in the 10 day race with a personal best of 750 miles.

People , events, and things come into our lives for a season, reason, or a lifetime. I hope the disciples , runners, Guru and everyone associated with this Mount Everest of Queens( 6&10 day race) will stay in my life forever! The pure bliss and happiness of being a small part of this is fantastic ! The joy of reading and watching ( due to Utpals heroic and brilliant efforts) this mind altering, numbing, boggling , unbelievable , and supreme experience unfold in real time is both fascinating and exhilarating!!

Yes, thank you Utpal and everyone who participated in this transformative, transcending and joyful annual event.. In one of Guru’s poems he speaks about-bartering our body’s dust for our soul’s plenitude — unquote — that is the feeling, plenitude of everything. What a feast! Congratulations to all, and thank you, thank you!

Utpal I’ve just made the 30 hour flight journey back home to New Zealand after helping Susan in her first 6 day race instead of helping Dipali in what would’ve been her 19th 6 day race. I’ve loved re living all the precious moments of the race by reading all your 10 days of journal entries here.Thank you so much for your insightful comments and interviews. What an incredible experience for all involved. Gratitude and Joy.